Amilcar

France, 1921 – 1939

(1) Sté Nouvelle pour l’Automobile Amilcar, St Denis, 1921 – 1937

(2) Sté Financière pour l’Automobile, Boulogne-sur-Seine, 1937 – 1939

Of all the sporting voiturettes that proliferated in France after World War 1, the Amilcar was the most famous and successful. Its name(Amilcar) was an anagram of those of its proagonists, Messrs Lamy, who had been concerned with the design of the Le Zèbre before the war, and Akar, who financed the Amilcar. The Amilcar’s designer was Edmond Moyet. The Amilcar Type CC and its developments the Amilcar CS and Amilcar C4 all had 4-cylinder sv engines of about 1-litre capacity, three forward speeds and quarter-elliptic springing. They differed little, therefore, from hosts of their competitors. The Amilcar CGS or Grand Sport of 1924 was a different and more serious proposition. It had a 1.074cc engine with full pressure-lubcrication, front-wheel brakes and front half-elliptic springs. It was developed into the more powerful, lowered Amilcar CGSS (Surbaisse) model in 1926. Various touring cars of between one and two litres were also made, all with four cylinders and side valves, but it was the Amilcar CGS and Amilcar CGSS that made the company’s reputation throughout the world.

Even so, the Amilcar C6 Course, one of the very few pure racing cars ever to be put into production, was still more exciting. Introduced in 1926, it dominated the 1100cc voiturette racing class. Its twin overhead camshaft, 6-cylinder engine developed 83hp and used roller bearings in works form. These Amilcars were capable of 118mph. A small touring straight-8 joined the range in 1928, as was the fashion then. This low-built Amilcar C8 was another excellent machine, with good roadholding and a creditable maximum speed of almost 80mph in spite of its considerable weight. The 2-litre engine had a single overhead camshaft.

By 1930, the Amilcar company was concentrating on touring cars; sports cars in France, as elsewhere with the onset of the Depression, were in decline. The Amilcar C8 was there, enlarged to two litres. The 1¼-litre Amilcar Type M, a sedate small four which had arrived in 1928, survived until 1935 as the Amilcar M2, Amilcar M3 and Amilcar M4; latterly with a 1.7-litre engine. Meanwhile, 1933 had brought Moyet’s new 5CV, the Type C, current until 1935 in various forms, and the disappearance of the C8. From 1934 to 1937 the Amilcar 12CV N7 was offered, which used a Delahaye engine, and there was also the Amilcar 14CV G36. The last Amilcars, made by Hotchkiss, were far more interesting. These ‘Compounds’ of 1938-1939 had independent suspension front and rear, front-wheel drive on J.A. Grégoire Tracta patents, and the Alpax unit construction of body and chassis that incorporated much aluminum. The engine was an 1.185cc four.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; TRN

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Stoewer

D, 1899 – 1939

(1) Gebrüder Stoewer, Fabrik für Motorfahrzeuge, Stettin, 1899 – 1916

(2) Stoewer-Werke AG vorm. Gebr. Stoewer, Stettin, 1916 – 1939

The Stoewer car factory developed out of the Stoewer ironworks and was among the pioneers of the German car industry. After manufacturing motor cycles, tricycles and quadricycles for two years, Stoewer turned to cars in 1899. The first Stoewer car had a rear-mounted 2-cylinder engine. 4-cylinder Stoewer cars followed in 1901, and electric Stoewer cars were also produced. Best known were the 2-cylinder Type T Stoewer car (2.280cc and 3/12PS), the 4-cylinder Stoewer P4 (3.052cc and 11/22PS), the Stoewer G4 (1.500cc and 6/12PS) and the 6-cylinder Stoewer P6 (8.820cc and 34/60PS), evolved in the 1905-1907 period all Stoewer cars with shaft-drive. The Stoewer B1 of 6/16PS and the Stoewer B6 of 9/22PS which appeared in 1910 were also built by Mathis under licence. The G4 Stoewer car was the basis for the Stoewer B5, which Stoewer car in 1912 became famous by setting up a record at Brooklands with 67.7mph. The new range of Stoewer cars which appeared in 1913 was also based on successful earlier cars. They were the Stoewer C1 (6/18PS), Stoewer C2 (10/28PS) and C3 Stoewer car (6-cylinder and 19/45PS). Shortly before the outbreak of World War 1 the Stoewer car range was headed by the F4 Stoewer car with a 4-cylinder, 8.8-litre 33/100PS ohc engine. After the war an enormous Stoewer car appeared, the Stoewer D7, using a 6-cylinder 11.2-litre 42/120PS aero engine, as well as some conservative sv 4- and 6-cylinder Stoewer cars with rear wheel and transmission brakes. Front wheel brakes appeared on Stoewer cars in 1925. Stoewer introduced 8-cylinder Stoewer cars in 1928. These were the Stoewer Superior, Stoewer Marschall, Stoewer Gigant and Stoewer Repräsentant with engines ranging from 2-litres and 45bhp to 4.9-litres and 100bhp. The Stoewer car firm re-entered the economy class in 1931 with the V5, a front-driven Stoewer car with a V4 1.188cc engine, followed by the front-drive models R140 (1.369cc), R150 (1.488cc) and R180 (1.769cc). Another 8-cylinder was the front wheel drive Greif V8 with a 2.488cc engine, which was replaced by the conventional 6-cylinder 3.609cc Arcona Stoewer car in 1938. In 1934 the 1½-litre 4-cylinder Stoewer car and 2½-litre V8 Stoewer car were shown at the Brussels Salon by Monsieur Dewaet under the name D.S. (Dewaet-Stoewer). The Greif Junior was built under Tatra licence with an opposed 4-cylinder 1.474cc engine. It succeeded the Röhr Junior. In the middle of the range was the Stoewer Sedina with a 4-cylinder engine of 2.4-litres.

Production of private Stoewer cars was given up at the outbreak of World War 2 in 1939. The Stoewer car factory was destroyed during the war and production of Stoewer cars was not resumed.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; HON   

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com